The Golden State Warriors have had a very disappointing season by their usual standards, but thanks to the NBA's new Play-In Tournament, they have a chance to end the season with the 7th seed in the Western Conference. They are currently 29-30, 9th in the Western Conference, and one game behind the Memphis Grizzlies. They are tied with the San Antonio Spurs who are in 10th but they are well above the New Orleans Pelicans in 11th.
The Warriors still have a great chance to make the playoffs this season. They are primed to dominate the play-in tournament and muscle their way to the 7th or 8th seed. Here's why.
Red Hot Curry
Steph Curry has been the hottest player in the NBA over the last month and it is not particularly close. He has had multiple 40 point outings and has made a case for the MVP despite his team being 9th in the conference. Throughout the season, Curry has averaged 31.1 points per game and 5.9 assists on remarkable 65.8% true shooting. He is the greatest shooter of all time and that remains his most prominent skill. He has been unstoppable throughout this stretch and he will likely remain unstoppable in the Play-In.
Experience
The Warriors were a dynasty and some pillars of that dynasty remain. Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Steve Kerr are all very experienced in the postseason and it is a huge leg up on their competition. Having done it before goes a long way toward making the goal of winning more attainable. Kerr specifically seems to thrive in the playoffs and he has well-structured rotations and schemes in the postseason.
Only Need One (or Two) Wins
The biggest benefit for a team like the Warriors in the Play-in is that they will only need one or two wins to make the playoffs. That means that Steph Curry can go absolutely nuclear for two games and drag the Warriors by their heels. It is not a seven-game series where a team needs to consistently be the better team, they only need to have the better night. The Warriors have the capability to have two good nights.
The Competition
The Dallas Mavericks: The Dallas Mavericks are easily the toughest competition the Warriors will face in the Play-In because they have the only player with comparable nuclear abilities to Steph Curry. Luka Doncic is one of the best scorers in the league and he can top Curry on the right night. However, the lucky thing with the Mavericks is that the Warriors likely do not need to beat them to make the playoffs. They might not even play the Mavericks if the Warriors end up at nine or ten and Dallas end up beating the eighth seed in the first game.
The Memphis Grizzlies: The Grizzlies are an incredibly consistent and well-coached team. Taylor Jenkins constantly maximizes his talent and he's made them into a great defense. Kyle Anderson, Jonas Valanciunas, and Dillon Brooks are all very good defenders and they use their size well. Despite this, the Grizzlies do not really have someone to guard Curry and they recently added Jaren Jackson Jr back to the rotation. It could take JJJ awhile to accommodate and contribute to winning basketball. The Grizzlies rely heavily on Ja Morant for offense, but the has struggled with efficiency this year and is still only in his second season.
The San Antonio Spurs: San Antonio is a sneaky team that has an excellent matchup against the Warriors. Dejounte Murray is one of, if not the best guard defender in the NBA. He can wreak havoc on opposing guards with ease. DeMar DeRozan also has experience in the playoffs. The Spurs are a consistently good two-way team and they can make any team sweat.
Prediction
If the Warriors can catch the Grizzlies by the end of the season and secure the 8th seed, it would greatly improve their chances at winning the Play-In. It would allow them to avoid one of the Grizzlies or Spurs. It would also give them the latitude to lose one game and still remain in the tournament, which means a lot for the Warriors considering their inconsistency.
If the Golden State remains in the 9th or 10th seed, they will have to win twice, but they still certainly have a chance to make it. They will have the best player on the floor no matter who they play and their season will likely rely on Steph Curry. Luckily for the Warriors, Curry has proven tremendously capable of deciding seasons in their favor.
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